Councils are “frightening” families with young children with excessive, heavy
handed debt collection tactics, charities have warned.

Almost 2 million debts were passed on to bailiffs in the last year alone,
according to a freedom of information (FOI) request to 374 local authorities
by the Money Advice Trust, the debt charity.

Local authorities most commonly refer council tax arrears, business rate
arrears and parking fines to bailiffs for collection.

Both the Money Advice Trust and Citizens Advice have expressed concern that
bailiffs, who are unregulated, often deepen debt problems rather than solve
them. Research by Citizens Advice has found evidence